


Lullaby for the Sun

by AssassinOfRome



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: AKA these boys actually gets some damn sleep!, Both author and characters are tired, Gen, Napping, Not explicitly Brotzly but could very easily be pre-slash, Series 1 AU where nothing bad happens, What's better than this sleepy guys being dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-03 02:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12738990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinOfRome/pseuds/AssassinOfRome
Summary: “I don’t want to move.” Dirk mumbles after a few minutes of companionable silence. The usual busyness of the Ridley seems to have died down, letting them bask in the last few rays of afternoon sun settling across the apartment. Todd watches as they play on Dirk’s hair, turning the ginger strands golden. The swoops look soft, he realises. He wants to run his fingers through it.“Then don’t.” Todd shrugs and sinks back against the cushions, tilting his head up slightly. He doesn’t care if it’s weird; it’s comfortable, and that’s all that matters right now. He wishes he had a footstall, or an unbroken coffee table, as his legs are aching terribly. “Sleep here. I’m going to.”After the excitement of the Patrick Spring case, Dirk and Todd finally get some sleep.





	Lullaby for the Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rayewarrrd](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=rayewarrrd).



> I’m a woman of simple means: I see cute fanart, I write a fic of it. And I saw rayewarrrd’s incredible fanart of Dirk taking a well-earned nap against Todd and had to write something to express my gratitude and joy! You can see the art here (https://rayewarrrd.tumblr.com/post/167530377654/fl%D1%91ur-a-lullaby-for-the-sun), and they’ve linked the lyrics to the song, which seems really sweet even though I don’t know what it means because language barriers. But wooooooohoooo!!! Also @rayewarrd I hope if you read this you enjoy it and I hope you can actually read it OK because again language barriers!
> 
> I wrote this as a post-season 1 finale AU where nothing bad happens based on their outfits in the art but Idk I might write an alternative with season 2 because the theme seemed to fit better there? Who knows? 
> 
> Also are all my fics going to be about Dirk pushing himself too hard, and ending up sleep deprived/stressed out? Yes, yes they are.

 There’s no easy way of saying it; Dirk looks like shit.

Because of the sleep deprivation, of course; otherwise that would just be rude. Rude and untrue. Untrude.

Christ, he’s more tired than he thought he was.

He wonders if this was par for the course when it came to time-travel. Or holistics. Or just being at the mercy of the universe. All avenues seem equally exhausting, and considering Dirk dabbles in them all on the daily, it makes sense that he looks a little bit shitty right now.

In contrast to earlier, when Dirk was still riding the high of a case well-solved and about three strawberry milkshakes, the holistic… whatever he is… sat next to him seems a lot more human, and a lot sleepier. He’s blinking slowly, fingers twitching slightly to fiddle with the hem of his new t-shirt. Every so often, Dirk will glance down at his chest and smile, grin bright with pride as he fondly traces the letters. No-one, not even Amanda, has ever been so pleased with Mexican Funeral merchandise.

Yet despite his delight, Todd can see it’s time for Dirk to wind down. Shame the detective doesn’t know how to do it himself.

They somehow stumble back to the Ridgley and Todd’s ruined apartment, and regardless of the wreckage, flop eagerly down onto the couch. Dirk makes a little soft sigh that Todd’s only heard him make before when taking a particularly satisfying sip of tea. He thinks it’s contentment. He hopes it’s enough.

“I don’t want to move.” Dirk mumbles after a few minutes of companionable silence. The usual busyness of the Ridgley seems to have died down, letting them bask in the last few rays of afternoon sun settling across the apartment. Todd watches as they play on Dirk’s hair, turning the ginger strands golden. The swoops look soft, he realises, despite being near constantly mussed by Dirk’s twitchy fingers as they reached the stressful conclusion of the case. He wants to run his fingers through it too, but to smooth down the errant curls instead of agitating them further. Dirk doesn’t look like he can take much more agitation in his life. With all the sugar he eats, the man’s probably already got a sky-high blood pressure; there’s no sense in making it any worse.

“Then don’t.” Todd shrugs and sinks back against the cushions, tilting his head up slightly. He doesn’t care if it looks weird; it’s ridiculously comfortable, and that’s all that really matters right now. He wishes he had a footstall, or an unbroken coffee table, as his legs are aching terribly. “Sleep here. I’m going to.”

“But I – my flat – you – “ Even Dirk’s false starts give up in the face of his exhaustion, and he just looks at Todd with wordless hopelessness. The tiredness that had settled on his face seemed more than just post-case drowsiness, but a deeper, sadder weariness that Todd knew too well. Yet on Dirk it looked worse, sombre and scary in a way that was at such odds with his vibrant personality that it made Todd’s chest tighten. It was as if the sun had gotten tired of shining. Todd wondered how bad Dirk must have been feeling, to have an expression like that. In the awkwardness, Dirk wriggles slightly, and slips off his jacket, resting it on the back of the sofa. He looks duller without it, the bags under his eyes almost as dark as the dusty black of his t-shirt.

He knew they were both beyond talking, so did the second-best thing he could think of, stretching out to make his lap as wide as possible, then nudging Dirk down until his head was resting on it. To his credit, Dirk put up no resistance, snuggling down and closing his eyes almost instantly. Within a few breaths, he is in snuffling sleep, and Todd feels he’s done something, if small to help. Half-heartedly, he tugs downs Dirk’s jacket to act as a temporary blanket, which works surprisingly well, considering the way he clings to it like a child. Todd wishes his lap were a softer pillow though, as Dirk wriggles slightly; Dirk deserves clouds for his head to rest on, not some weird drug-rug of a jumper.

Still there is something endearing about this cheerful copper of Dirk’s hair against the threadbare wool. It seems to change colours in the light, appearing redder now and softer than ever. Todd can’t resist burying his fingers into it, and freezes for a moment, wondering if Dirk had been disturbed. But the only reaction from the sleeping detective is what can only be described as a mewl of approval, and Todd takes that as a cue to stroke the shiny strands, the repetitive motions lulling him too into serene slumber.  


End file.
